Vending machine interlock mechanism



1966 M. w. NEWBERRY VENDING MACHINE INTERLOCK MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 23, 1965 United States Patent 3,291,340 VENDING MACHINE INTERLOCK MECHANISM Meigs W. Newberry, East Longmeadow, Springfield, Mass., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,972 4 Claims. (Cl. 221-125) The present invention relates to vending machines and more particularly to an interlock mechanism for a multiple column, multiple choice vending machine.

Vending machines of the multiple choice, multiple column type having interlock mechanisms to prevent the simultaneous operation of more than one vend gate mechanism are well known. An example of a vending machine of the multiple column type is described in the copending patent application of Francis A. Gasparini, Serial No. 451,579, filed April 28, 1965 entitled Vending Machine and assigned to the same assignee as the present application for patent. It is well known to provide a plurality of interlock blades in general alignment with each other and having abutting end surfaces between which a wedge shaped interlock blade operating member must be inserted upon the operation of each vending mechanism gate. The interlock arrangement is such as to limit lengthwise movement of the interlock blades to only that amount that will permit the insertion of only one interlock blade operating member thus preventing simultaneous actuation of more than one vending gate mechanism. Prior to this invention, in order to obtain a sufficient movement of interlock blades and still have a relatively easy movement for the vending gate mechanisms, it has been necessary to employ relatively large wedging surfaces and angles for the interlock blade operating. Also, the interlock blades having the aligned and abutting end surfaces in the arrangement of the prior art were necessarily relatively thick to insure good abutting alignment.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a multiple column, multiple choice vending machine with an improved interlock mechanism of the sliding blade type that will enable a minimum thickness of interlock blade to be used and which does not require large wedging surfaces for the interlock blade moving member.

In accordance with the invention a plurality of interlock blades having wedge shaped surfaces at the ends thereof are positioned in general alignment with each other but with their wedge shaped ends overlapping. A projection extends from the face of one of each pair of adjacent blades in a position to abut the overlapping end surface of the next adjacent blade such that lengthwise movement of any one blade causes lengthwise movement of the next adjacent blade. Thus by inserting an interlock blade moving member between the wedge surfaces of any two adjacent overlapping interlock blades, all of the aligned interlock blades are caused to be moved lengthwise in one of two opposite directions and the total lengthwise displacement may be greater than the thickness of the portion of the blade moving member that is inserted between the interlock blades. Also, it will be apparent that each interlock blade may be relatively thin since the blade interlocking projection abutting the end surface of each blade may be made efiiciently long so as to assure abutting and interlocking contact therewith.

Further objects, features and the attendant advantages of the invention will be apparent with reference to the following specification and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view partly in section of the vending gate mechanisms for a multiple column, multiple choice vending machine to which the interlock blade mechanism of the invention is applied to prevent ice the simultaneous operation of more than one vending gate mechanism;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragentary front elevation of the interlock blade arrangement of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view on the line IV-IV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a slightly modified form of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of FIG. 5.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the vending gate portions of a multiple column, multiple choice manually operated vending machine are shown in some detail although they will not be described herein except as necessary for an understanding of the interlock blade operating arrangement of the invention. If a detailed understanding of the working of the vending gate mechanisms shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings is desired, reference may be made to the previously mentioned copending application, Serial No. 451,579. For purposes of describing the present invention, it is pointed out that the vending machine includes a plurality of columns, such as the columns 10-13, each provided with a vending gate controlled by respective vend shafts 14-17. The vending gate mechanism is movable from a locked position for vending upon rotation of a respective one of the vend shafts 1417 first in a clockwise direction and then back in a counterclockwise direction. In order to rotate a vend shaft such as the shaft 15 for vending an article from the column 11, for example, the roller 20 must be free to move as the shaft 15 rotates first in the clockwise direction. In order to enable the roller 20 to move to the left of the drawing for the initial clockwise movement of the vend shaft 15, the interlock blade moving member 21 must be able to pivot in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot point 22. This will be understood when it is realized that the roller 20 is engaging a cam roller surface 23 of the interlock blade moving member 21. The interlock blade moving member 21 can be moved counterclockwise only a short distance until its interlock blade moving projection 24 must move down between a pair of respective interlock blade members such as the members 25 and 26. Assuming that the vending machine is locked because no coins have been deposited, the interlock blade members 25 and 26 will be prevented from moving lengthwise by a coin lock to be briefly described so as to prevent the insertion of the interlock blade moving projection 24 of the blade moving member 21, thereby preventing the counterclockwise rotation of the interlock blade moving member 21 and preventing the requisite movement of the roller 20 and the clockwise movement of the vend shaft 15, thus maintaining the vend shaft 15 in the locked, non-vending position.

If the requisite coin has been collected, the coin collect solenoid 30 will be energized to raise the latch member 31 and permit a limited lengthwise movement of all of the interlock blade members 2529. It should be noted that the arrangement is such that when the machine is unlocked upon collection of coin as described, the total lengthwise movement of the interlock blades 25-29 is limited to an amount that will be sutficient only to permit the insertion of one interlock blade moving member projection such as the projection 24, and such lengthwise movement may even be great enough to prevent the correct registration of any other interlock blade moving member 24, with the wedge surfaces of the blades thus preventing the simultaneous operation of more than one of the vend gate shafts 14-17 Referring now to FIGS. 24 of the drawings the novel arrangement of interlock blade members will be described in detail. Each of the interlock blade members, such as the member 25, is provided with wedge shaped surfaces such as shown at 40 and 41 or 42 and 43. As more clearly seen by FIG. 3 of the drawings, the plurality of interlock blades are positioned in general alignment with each other but with their wedge ends overlapping as shown by the overlapping of the wedge ends 41 and 42 for blades 25 and 26 or wedge ends 40 and 43 for blades 25 and 27. A projection such as the projection 45 extends from a face surface of one of each pair of overlapping blades such as the overlapping blades 25 and 26. Similarly, a projection such as the projection 47 extends from a face surface of one of the pair of overlapping ends of the interlocking blades 25 and 27. Each of the projections such as the projections 45 and 47 is of sufficient length to assure good abutting contact with the end surfaces of the abutting overlapping interlock blade. For example, the projection 45 of blade 26 abuts the end surface of the interlock blade 25, while the projection 47 from the face surface of interlock blade 27 abuts the other end portion of the interlock blade 25. It will be noted that each of the interlock blade members such as 25, 26 or 27 may be relatively thin while still assuring good interlocking contact in view of the abutment of the end surfaces against the corresponding projection such as the projection 45 or 47. The interlock blades are maintained in their general longitudinal alignment by means of the U-shaped support brackets such as the bracket shown at 50.

It will be noted as shown by FIG. 2 of the drawings that the interlock blade moving member 24 of a vending gate mechanism such as the vending gate mechanism for the vend shaft 15 shown by FIG. 1 of the drawings may also be relatively thin since it is only required to move between the two wedge surfaces 41 and 42 for the adjacent overlapping interlock blades 25 and 26. As the blade moving member 24 moves down between the interlock blades 25 and 26, its engagement with the wedge surface 41 moves the interlock blade 25 and the next adjacent interlock blade 27 to the left as shown in the drawing. At the same time, the simultaneous engagement of the blade moving member 24 with the wedge surface 42 of the interlock blade 26 moves interlock blade 26 and its next adjacent blade 28 to the right as shown by the drawing. Any lengthwise movement of an interlock blade having projections from the face surface thereof, such as the interlock blade 26, will cause a movement of the next adjacent interlock blade engaged with a corresponding projection by such movement.

It will be noted that in the arrangement just described in connection with FIGS. 2-4 of the drawings alternate ones of the interlock blade members 25-28 are provided with projections on the face surfaces thereof, such as the projections 45, 49, while alternate other ones of the interlock blade members are provided with no projections. A slightly modified form of the invention is shown by FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings in which each interlock blade member is provided with a respective projection 64-66 from a face surface thereof. As more clearly shown by FIG. 6 of the drawings, the projections alternate in projecting from one and then the other side of the faces of the adjacent interlocking overlapping interlocking blades.

Various modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a vending machine having a plurality of storage columns and a plurality of respective vend mechanisms for each respective column, the combination of interlock mechanism for preventing simultaneous operation of more than one of said vend mechanisms, comprising a plurality of interlock blades having wedge shaped surfaces at end portions thereof, means positioning said blades in general alignment with each other and with the wedge ends of adjacent blades overlapping each other, a projection extending from a face of one of each pair of overlapping blades in a position to abut the end surface of the other of each pair of overlapping blades whereby lengthwise movement of any one blade causes lengthwise movement of a next adjacent one of said blades, a plurality of respective interlock blade moving members connected to respective ones of said vend mechanisms for movement between the wedge ends of respective overlapping ones of said interlock blades to cause lengthwise movement of said blades, and means limiting the lengthwise movements of said blades to prevent the simultaneous movement of more than one of said blade moving members between the wedge ends of respective overlapping ones of said interlock blades to thereby prevent simultaneous operation of more than one vend mechanism.

2. The invention of claim 1 in which there are provided a series of pairs of said interlock blades with one blade of each pair of adjacent interlock blades being provided with a projection from the face thereof near each end in a position to abut the end surface of the next adjacent interlock blade in a series of pairs of interlock blades and with the next adjacent interlock blade of each pair of interlock blades having no projections from the faces thereof.

3. The invention of claim 1 in which alternate ones of the aligned interlock blades are provided with a projection from a face thereof near each end thereof.

4. The invention of claim 1 in which each one of the aligned interlock blades is provided with a projection from a face thereof near one end thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,019,942. 2/1962 Barnhart 221l25 FOREIGN PATENTS 39,478 11/1936 Holland. Ad. 809,686 4/ 1940 France.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A VENDING MACHINE HAVING A PLURALITY OF STORAGE COLUMNS AND A PLURALITY OF RESPECTIVE VEND MECHANISMS FOR EACH RESPECTIVE COLUMN, THE COMBINATION OF INTERLOCK MECHANISM FOR PREVENTING SIMULTANEOUS OPERATION OF MORE THAN ONE OF SAID VEND MECHANISMS, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF INTERLOCK BLADES HAVING WEDGE SHAPED SURFACES AT END PORTION THEREOF, MEANS POSITIONING SAID BLADES IN GENERAL ALIGNMENT WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH THE WEDGE ENDS OF ADJACENT BLADES OVERLAPPING EACH OTHER, A PROJECTION EXTENDING FROM A FACE OF ONE OF EACH PAIR OF OVERLAPPING BLADES IN A POSITION TO ABUT THE END SURFACE OF THE OTHER OF EACH PAIR OF OVERLAPPING BLADES WHEREBY LENGTHWISE MOVEMENT OF ANY ONE BLADE CAUSES LENGTHWISE MOVEMENT OF A NEXT ADJACENT ONE OF SAID BLADES, A PLURALITY OF RESPECTIVE INTERLOCK BLADE MOVING MEMBERS CONNECTED TO RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID VEND MECHANISMS FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE WEDGE ENDS OF RESPECTIVE OVERLAPPING ONES OF SAID BLADES, AND MEANS LIMITING THE LENGTHMOVEMENT OF SAID BLADES, AND MEANS LIMITING THE LENGTHWISE MOVEMENT OF SAID BLADES TO PREVENT THE SIMULTANEOUS MOVEMENT OF MORE THAN ONE OF SAID BLADE MOVING MEMBERS BETWEEN THE WEDGE ENDS OF RESPECTIVE OVERLAPPING ONES OF SAID INTERLOCK BLADES TO THEREBY PREVENT SIMULTANEOUS OPERATION OF MORE THAN ONE VEND MECHANISM. 